The New York Herald Newspaper, January 29, 1871, Page 10

10 HISTORIC SIEGES. CONTINUED FROM THIRD PAGE. ‘Agree With the less astonishing, but more natural ‘end minute account of Herodotus. According to ‘he latter Cyrus (not Darius the Mede) marched at ‘the head of the Medo-Persian army agains: the great city; Nabonadius, the Babylonian king (not Bel- shezzar), hearing of his approach, set out wiih all his forces to meet him. The two armies fought a dread- ful and bloody battle not far from the city of Baby- Jon itself, Nabonadius was defeated and retired ‘With his shattered forces within the walls of the 1m- Perial city. Tne Babylonians even now had “ ult of the struggle. @ period of iwenty years, and the river Euphrates, passing through the centre of the city. gave them abondant water. Cyrus, ‘astonished at the strength and extentof the walls, himself aluost despaired of ever getting inside them. However, he patienuy set to Work digging trenches, and environed the city so that no new supplies of any kind could enter it, He employed the rest of bis army, which ts said to have numbered 300,000 men, in constructing a canal to lead of the waters of the Euphrates into an immense lake. Durtug two years tne Babyloni- Jans troubled themselves but litte about his opera- tions, Almost daily they came apse the walls and tauntingly derided his efforts. The usual routine of the life of the stately old city, indeed, sull ran on in its accustomed channels. The slaves stall prepar- ed the bauquets of the Chaldean literatl, who seem © have formed its nobility, aud in the bazaars the artizans wove costly robes embroidered = with fol { thread, or fashioned the curious sticks headed with carved devices which every Babylonian citizen was required to carry, or cui precious stones and set them in rich red, soit, Virgin gold. Little indeed did they dream Uhat all’ these treasares would full into the hands of the stern, bearded Medes and Persians, who grimly waited without the gates. At last & great Bahylouian festival was about to be celevrated, and Cyrus resolved to make his final assault, | This festi- Val is said tw have been that of the Babyionian Venus, who was worshippea with hideously ovscene rites. At any rate the whole city abandoned itself © unrestrained license and riot, Eagerly the doomed populace drained copious draugats of palm wine aud danced and feasted aud made merry. But it Was their last debauch. ip the dead of night, by the order of Cyrus, the head of the canal was broken tn, and the waters of the Euphrates prin 4 flowed into the lake, Jeaving tne bed of the river fordable for the Medo- Persian troops. Each street of the city leading to the river was detended by huge gates of brass, but even these seem to bave been left open by their drunken guardians, Roused from his orgies by the despairing cries of his subjects, the King rushed out to die upon the spears of lis enemies. Thus fell mighty Babylon, for ages the mistress o1 the world. TYRE, another of the most famed and splendid cities of an- tiguity, sustained @ number of celebrated sieges. Nebuchadnezzar wok it with great diMculty, in the course of the same Campaign in which he destroyed Jerusalem, But the most celebrated and obstinate siege Of Tyre was that carried on by Alexander the Great. After the defeat of Darius at Issus the con- querer marched aloug the Syrian coast, de- tanding the surrender of the various cities that had been tributary to the ‘ersias. Qyre sent a deputation te him, offering an annual tribute. ‘iis was refused, and Alexau- der insisted upon nothing less than the posses-ion of she city and feet. The Tyriaas adopted vigorous: measures oi delence. Tyre was built on a itttle island, separated from the main land by a deep channel. ‘The Tyrian heet commanded the sea, and Alexander's only chance of reaching the city, there- fore, was by constructing an embankment rigbt across the Channel. This he succeeded in doing, availing himself of the massive remains of the rumed city of Paletyrus that nad been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. 1t proved, however, a work of seven months of patient and wutiring lavor, and the ‘Tyrian geet constantly harassed the artisans, kill hug @ great number of tuem, Even when tic mole ‘was completed, the city environed by Walls said to have been 150 feet high, held outseverai moutas lon- ger, and it did so the more easily since aii the women and children had been transvorted by the fleet to Carthage. At last a breach was made m te walls, @ geveral assault ensued, and the city, after a wesperate resistance, Was taken. Alexander made & terrible use of his victory. Eight thousand of the unhappy Tyrian3 were siaagatcred in cold blood. ‘Two thousand more were crucified in revenge for the alle; murder of some Greek prisoners, and the remainder, in ali some 80,000 souls, were sold into Biavery. The King and the chief magistrates, how- ever, escaped. They had flea to the temple of Her- cules, and Alexander respecied the privilege of sanctuary they thus invoked. Even wis terrible Qisaster goes not seem to have finally ended the career of Tyre. It must indeed have recovered its prosperity with wonderful rapidity; for, only eigh- teen years later, 1t Was besieged again for elghteen months by the Emperor Antgonus. Hisiory ,now- ever, is silent as to the cause, the progress and the conclusion of this last siege. THE SIKGE OF CARTHAGE is also one of the most Memorabie in ancient history. After two severe wars With Uius gallant African people the Romans were a: peace with them lors eXaciuy half a century, during which the growing wealth and power of tue runle city constantly aggravated the jealousy of the city of the beven Hi At iast, determined to crush so dan- gerous a rival, Rome espoused the Cause of Masi- Dissa, Who was invoived in a dispute w the Car- thaginians, The Romans assumed to be the arbi- trators im the case, and the Carthaginians, con- scious of their military 8, assented to the claim, As a prelil & of good faith the Romans demanded 800 hostages, taken from the ouch of the nobility. Tuis was agreed to. Phe Romans then sent over @ large army and or- derea the Cartiayiniaus to give up a their arms and engines of defence, aud two trust in Rome for protec- tion. This demand was also complied with, but scarcely had the Carihaginaus been gulity of so great a folly than their rivals imposed yet a intra aud harder condition—that they shonid abandon the city of Carthage to be destroyed, and bulid a second and undefended city, ten mues distant from the sea coast. The ' spirit of the Punic people was at last aroused, the gates of the city were shut, ev yituin the Walls Was murdered and Ui set to work making new arms. Ali the slaves aud prison- ers were liberated and their tetters melted down to bapply tue armorers with materials. Houses were puted down and the stones with which they bad been buiit stored on the walis as missiles to hurl against Lhe foe. Tha3ks to tuese vigerous preparations, the Romans for three years were unable to take the city, and during this line the enersy of tue Punic fleet vonstanuly- suppited the beleaguered capital with fresh stores 01 provisions At length, however, wing to the capacity of tne Roman General Scipio, who commanded during the last campaign, Carthage was taken. A general assault was made al the dead of night, and the Romans succeeded in entering the city. A dreadful scene followed. The houses were six stories high, and along the rooftops, as well as in the streets, Romaus and Carthaginians fought despe: ately hand to hand, every yard of progress made by the Romans being bouy contested. The main thorougiiares were choked with dead bodes, and it. rally swam with hideous streams of bloud. Al this uerosm, how- ever, failed to repel the invaders, and Punic Carth- age Was Numbered among the cities o: the past. Ta Curthage that rose on its ruins was a Roman city. JERUSALEM has endured perhaps more of the horrors of war in the shape of sieges than any other his- torical city. Josephus enumerates six sieges that it suffered prior to the destruction of the city by ‘ditas, The most terrible among these was that car- ried on by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah, the King of the Jews, had sworn fealty in the pame oi the God o1 Abraham to the Babylonian empire. He suddenly, however, rebeiled, and the great King marcued upon tne Holy City. We have but few particulars of the it lasted eighteen months. Nebuchadnezzar eared up outside the walls hug: mounds of earth, and upon these again high towers were constructed, 86 as to defend the Babylonian archers and at tue sane time enable tham to throw their darts and arrows with effect into the city. Inside the Walls the Jews were last dying by famine and by what Josephus quaintiy terms a “pestilential dis- temper.” But the besicged mantuily heid out until Mt last they grew too weak numerically to resist the foe. The city and the Temple were destroyed alter they fel) into the hands of the great King. Subse- quently Jerusaicm sustained sieges of greater or less severity by Biishak, King of Egypt; by Antiochus, by Pouipey and by Herod. Then, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, came the terribie siege of Titus, which was marked by horrors that make the heast sick fo contempiate. Inch by inch the Jews disputed the possession of the doomed city, though diviaed by intestine strife and per- ising daily by buudrecs of starvation. So extreme was the famine that the un- happy people ate their own oraure, rifled the tombs and devoured dead bodies, and it is even stated that women slew their sucking babes and cooked them for food. Bnt tbe Romans took first the Tower of Antonia, then the Temple, which Was set in fiammes upd destroyed, and, lastly, tue upper city Joseph in the sixth book of his History of we Jewiso War, gives the most ample detalls of this dreadful siege. He computes the number that perished by pestilence and famine and #Word at 1,100,000, and 97,000 Jews in addition were carried into capuvity. The closing scene of his de- soription of the siege is £0 graphic tat It deserves transcription:—“And now, since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men, ani yet there appeared @ vast multitude sul remaining alive, Cesar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms and oppored them, bat thould take the rest alive. But together with those whom they had orders Ww slay they slew the aged and intrm; but for those that were in their bourtshing and who might be useful to them, they drove them together into tue Tempie and shut them up within the walis of the court of the Women, over which Caesar set ene of his treed men, and also Front, one of his own friends, which jas Was to determine every one’s faie, according to bis merits, So this Frento slew ali those that had been seditious and robbers, who were impeached one by another; but of the young men he chose out tue tallest and most beautiful, and reserved them for the triumph; and as for the rest of the muititude that were above seventeen Years old, he put them isto bonds and sent them to the Egyptian mines. 114U8 also sent d great Dumber into We provinces as # present to infin, that they migit be destroyed upon thelr theaugs by the sword and by wild beasts; but those t were under seven- teen were sold fer siaves. Now during the aye whergn Fronw” wus disungyishing tlese NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 1871.—TRIPLE SHEET. there perished, for want..ef feed 11, samt of nem at et cae any food, through nv} hatred their guards bore for them, and others would | not take any when it was given them.” Llere ts, indeed, a frightfui picture of the excesses of a bar- Us age. Serusatem was again taken by the Persians in the year 614, and by the Saraccns under Khalif Omar, who ‘built the mosque that bears his name, in 637. Once more, In 1099, it was besieged—this me by the Crusa- ders under Godfrey de Bouillon. Pilgrims to the Holy Qity stall trace out the camps of the Christian army, The siege was begun on the 7th of June and lasted forty days, The defence was in the hands of the Caliph’s Meutenant, Aladin, who displayed signal ability. The garrison numbered 40, ‘Turks and Arabians. The sorce of the Crusaders was too small to completely invest the city, and the attack was therefore confined to the northern and western sides. A general assault was made on the fifth day of the siege, but the Chris- tians were repulsed with terrible slunghter, Two movable turrets were then constractea by some Genoese engineers, and taken to the most neglected part of the walls, One tower was burned by the defenders, but the other was more successful, and on the 16th of July the croas supplanted the crescent on the walls of the Holy City. The next three days were employed by the victors in the i- discriminate slaughter of the Moslems, 70,000 of whom were sacrificed to the tanatical fury of their foes. The recapture of Jerusalem eighty-eight years later, by Saladin, was happily marked by no such atrocities, Several times subsequently the city has changed masters, but the foregoing are the principal sieges 1t has had to endure. ROME, another holy city, and one which for nearly twenty- five centaries has been either the mihtary or eccle- Siastical mistress of the world, has also suffered fre- guent sieges. The first deserving notice took place in the inlancy of the republic, when the Gauls made their first moursion into Italy, under Brennus. The Roman arwy, in spite of its superior weapons and dis- cipline, Was signally defeated some eleven miles from Kome on the banks of the Alia, by the barbarian invaders. The people of the city were seized with the greatest consternation, and lost that presence of mind which forms the only means of escape from rave national disasters. The Senators. however, lisplayed a heroism almost unexainpled in history, While the able-bodied men hastened to the citadel, which they resolved to defend to the last, these aged Romans, eighty In number, calmly waited in their accustomed places in the Council Chamber the arrival of the Gauls. The latter, when they first entered the chamber, were astonished beyond mea- sure, and sertously thought that the immortal gods had themselves descended in human form to iter- fere in bebalf of the cliy. One of the chiefs, how- ever, having seized the priest Papirius by the beard, the indignant Roman struck him with his ivory oficial sceptre, and the entire Senate perished im the tumult that ensued. The Gauls then plundered the city, and, having set it on fire, invested the citadel, which was bullt on the summit of a steep cliff, accessible only by a narrow path thatcould be easily defended. A Roman army was, however, slowly mustered under the lead of Camtl- lus, while the Gauls patiently waited round the cita- del, dying of pestilence by hundreds. Witn great dificulty communication was opened by Camillus with the beleaguered garrison, but the tracks of the messenger were seen by the Gauls the following morning, and they aitempted a general assault by the same path. The assailants silently climbed up the cliff m the middle of the night, but just as the foremost man was crossing the rampart tie cackling of some sacred geese awoke the sleeping garrison. Marcus Manitus rushed at the Gaul and hurled hun over the precipice. In his fail he carried down the reat of his comrades. The garrison, however, were sven reduced to the last extremity of hunger, aud Were forced to eat up the soles of their shoes and the thongs of their smelds. But in order that the Gauis should not discover their need the Komans col- lected every atom of flour they could scrape together, and having baked it into a loaf threw it over the walis to deceive Brennus fvith a show of plenty. At last Breunus concluded terms of negotiation with the besieged garrison. It Was agreed that be should receive a thousand pounds weight of gold. In weighing out the trea- sure a fresh dificulty occurred, s#renius turew his sword into the weight pan and ingoleutiy exclaimed, “Tue Vanquished ought to suifer.”’ Whue the dispute on thts head was raging Cawillus entered the city with the army he had gathered iogetuer, He at once ordered the gold to be taken back, and re- torted to the Gaul, “We Romans buy our ransom Wich steel, and not with gold.” A great battle en- sued, in which the Gauis were badly deieated, After this Rome enjoyed centuries of securiiy; 1- deed, the next time she had to euaure the juiilia- tion Of Beelng a foreign toe eucamped veneatd her Walis Was in the reign of the Emperor Honortus, when Alaric, the Kiug of ine Vimgoths, myaded Ttaly. In two years Kome was thrice besieged by these flerce barbarians, Twice slie escaped by pay- img a ransom, but the third time, ih the year 410, Alaric refused to accept anything but an abject surrender of tue city. ‘tue trembling Senate did their best to avert this crown- ing dishonor, but in vain. A secret conspiracy was formed among the slaves aud domestics, nearly ail ol whom were akin In bivod to the invaders, and at midnight the Salarian gave was thrown open, and, as Gibbon says, the Koinans “were awakened by ine tremenuous sound oO; the Gothic trumpet.” Alanc did not very grossly abuse his power, He handed over the riches of the city to his troops as a lainly earned reward of valor, but his suldiers, some of Whom Were themseives believers in Jesus Christ, uniformly respected the possessions of tue Cuiistian churches and the persons of Christian priests aud nuns. But a cruel wa re of thousands of to- mung followed the victory, and the sirecis were filied with corpses, Which! lay unburied for several days. This, ho Was lets the work of the soldiers of Alaric than Of the 4,000 Gothic whom he bad liberated, and wo now fouud an op- portunity to revenge theinsclves upon their wastes jur the accumulated indignities of years of emorced service. Many tioman matrous and virguis fell a prey to the lawless desir the Victors, but history records also several in- siances of Marked moueration in tis respect, aud dvubuess, a3 Gibbou again says, “the want of youth, or beauty, or chastity, provectea che greatest part of the Koiwan women irom rap Tue Goths ouly siayed six days In the captured city, and tneu departed, Jaden with treasures of almost iabulous Vaiue. About half a century iater Rome again fell @ prey to Genseric, King of the Vandais, Who, hav- ing made himeell master Ol Africa and piaudered southern Nialy, struck at the imperial city. Yhe rest of the story of tunis siege, and the curious Lac that the spoils taken irom xome by Geuseric were removed by him to Carthage 1s well ioid (and ia Lugiish hexXameters, too) In tne jollowing unes:— ‘When at last to the gates be was come, Loud be knocked with bis erce iron fist. drowaily auswered him Kome— cheth so loud? Get thee hence. And full Let His name . 'd Genseric. that hatu seat me is Fate, And mine, who knock late Retribution.” Rome gave bim her glorious things: The keys she had conquerea irom kingdoms; tue crowns she had wrested from kings; And Genreric vore them away into Carthage, avengea thus on Rome. In after times the city of the Seven Hills was many times forced to endure capture at the hauds of ner foes, bus only two of her many subsequent sieges need be mentioned. The first is, of course. ihe famous siege by the Constable de Bourbon, in 1527, head of the troops of Charles V., the seli-styicd peror of tae Komans, wien ‘The black bands came over ue Aips aud their snov. With Bourbon the Rover ‘hey crossed the wide Po. After @ severe siege Rome fell into the hands of the most ternbie foes she had ever met—a mingied horde of adventurers, some of wuom, born the children of the Church, had thrown oif her sguthority and delighted to humiliate ana plander her, white otners, educated in a gloomy and perverted form o. Protestantism, burned with anabapust zeal to purily her aitars with blood and fre. The Constavle de Bourvou was slain in the assault whicu gained the city, His followeis, how- “Open! ever, remained nine months in Rome, and abaudoned themselves with scarcely any re- straint to every dark temptation of cruelty, lust and rapine. A full description of these horrors is given in Robertsou’s “Charies V.’’ ‘The last siege of Rome was in 1849, when the French troops under General Ondinot marched w the rescue of the Holy Father from the Garibaldians. ‘The ‘reds’ prepared for a@ vigorous defence. The Prench invested the city ou the 3d June, und began the attack by an energetic assault, fa which 800 Ko- maos were killed. Tue assailants were, however, repulsed, and the city held out with unflinching patriotism until the suth June, when some breaches made by the attacking batteries rendered it no longer tenable. The French did not, however, enier Rome in iorce until the 3d July, and Garibaldi, with 10,000 men, succeeded in making bis escape. In te final assault of the 29th 400 Romans were slain. CONSTANTINOPLE enjoys the distinction probably of having been more frequently besieged Wan any other city ia Hurope. It wouid ve a dificult matter to record how many umes she has been sacked. But local tradition asserts that she has suffered seven great and siguaily bloody and terrible sieges. Of these ouiy turee will be now particularly noticed—the two sieges by the army of the Crusaders in 1203 and i204 and the Mual capture of the city by the Turks under Sultan Moamined. The first siege by the Crusaders took place with the purpose of overturning the usurper Alexius and reipsiating his brotuer isaac. The reai object of the enterprise was, however, to secure a passage for the Crusaders through the Greek empire and to obtain active nelp from the astern half of tue Roman world for the prosecution of the Crusade. The aitacking force was ranged uuder the standards of ihe Venetian republic, the Counts of Flanders, Bois and St. Pol, and eight barons of France. lhe Crusaders, awed by the splen- dor and reputed power of fle Easiera metropolis, advanced with little confidence in their success to the attack. The Venetians with their navy undertook the assault of the city from ine side of the sea and barbor, wile the rest of the forces attacked the lana sides, This siege is marked vy one curious trait. ‘The vesiegers and not the besieged suiered from the scarcity of provis.ons. Tue Veuetians, who had tne charge of the convoys, miscaiculaied the appetites of their allies, and the latter were further soumated in their desire to take the city by the pangs of hunger. Tie Grecks, with the cowardice that distinguished them so signally in the last days of the empire, made but feeble attempts at defence; lideed, most of ine hard lighting Was done by the Varangian guard, com- posed of refugee Anglo-Saxons and a few Danes, Whose exploits have been noticed by Sir Waiter Scott, A general assault by the combined naval and military forces was made ou the tenti day of the siege. The Venetians soun suceceded in taking twenty-five towers, and the city practically jell into their hanas, Tne French, bowever, had been less fortunaie. They had adyauced with 250 euwines to batter down the ‘walls. As Boon as ‘a breach was made the sealing ladders were planted ead the assatiants gal lantly endeavored to Win thelr way tuto the city, They were repulsed, with heavy loas, aud almost im. mediately afier the Emvevor Alexiue, orant of the danger in which the rest of the city was in- volved, vaihed out with sixty squadrons of Greek cavairy. These completely s\rrounded the Crusa- ders, and but for the Venetians, who abandoned most of the avantages they had gamed in order two rescue their allies, the peaeging force might have been, perhaps, destroyed by the overwhelming numbers of the besieged. But the cowardly Greeks soon grew awed at the firm front of their foes, and Alexius drew them of at nightfall, Despairing of rallying them again the Emperor fled vefore day- break, and the Latins restered the blind and aged Isaac to the throne, It is need- less to give all the circumstances that led to the second siege of Constantinople by the Cru- saders in the following year. Isaac had again been dethroned, and a ian of less noble biood, named Monrzoupel, reigued in his stead. He boldly refused to assent to certain pecuntary demands of the Lawns, and seems to have defended the city with far more energy than Alexius, ‘This second siege lasted three months, The grand attack was finally made from the side of the harbor. After a furtous fre of darts, stones and arrows, from both sides, the galleys were moved ciose up to the walls, and the drawbridges with which they had been furnished were tung across to the ramparts, = ‘The fighting was feartully despe- Tate, but for two days the Latins were unsuc- cessful, On the third day, however, the Bishops cf Troyes and Soissons planted their standards on the walls, and the city waa taken. The sack that ensued was extremely searching. Constantinople Was uudoubtedly the richest city in the ancient world; and in those early times, before the establishment of banks and the discovery of stamped paper. all wealth was Kept in the precious metals. the spotis of the victors are reputed to have been more than fourteen times the annual revenues of the English crown at that perioa. ‘The excesses of the Crusaders in proiaining the Greck churches Were far less excusable than their determmed efforts to thoroughly piunder the vanquished. All the gold and silver ornaments of the famed Chureh of St. Soplia were torn away; the altar, of solid gold and of curious workmanship, was broken io Pieces and divided; and worse thau all, a prostitute Was seated upon the throne o! the patriarcll and per- mitted to sing and dance in the cathedral and ridicule the hymns and processions of the Eastern Church. Even the Catholic Pope reproached tie Crusaders with the infamy of their over-zealous ex- ertions in vindication of Latiu Christianity. The weakness of the Greek empire long mvited the attack of the Mussulman Caliphs, and as early as the seventh century we find the Arabs endeavoring to make themselves the masters of Consiantinople, Their first attempt was made only forty-six years after the fignt of Mahomet from Mecca, Repulsed with signal loss, they repeated the effort for the six following years. All their exertions were in vain, however, and their oply result was to fertilize the soil beneath the walls of Byzantium with the dead bodies of 40,000 slaughtered Mussulmans. The capture of the city for the Moslems was re- served for the Turkish Sultan, Mohammed. He in- vested the city on the Stn of April, 1453. His nume- rous forces covered the plains on the Jand side of the city, while a fleet of 300 sail menaced it from the sea. The siege was begun by the planung of batteries in all directions and the rats- ing of mounds as high and even higher than the walls themselves, so that the besiegers could incessantly throw into the doomed city a shower of arrows, Great reliance Was placed in a huge piece of ordnance, which is sail to have thrown mussiies weighing as much as ® hundred pounds, and which soon made several breaches in the walls. Before ihe ‘urks, however, could fll up tie ditch which surrounded the ct1y and thus avail themselves of the advantage gained the breaches were repaired. The great obstacle to the success of the Turks was a massive chain which had been drawn across the mouth of the harbor, and which withstood all the eiforts of the feet to break it. With infinite patience, and aided by some machines constructed by some Genoeze renegades, Mohammed transported overland a number of galleys and then launched ihem in the or. By the help of these a bridge was thrown across the Bosphorus, and the city Was exposed upon yet another and her weakest side, Still the Emperor held out, refusing to capitu- late on any terms invoiving the surrender of the city, Atiast, on the 2th of May, the Turks muti- nied, 2nd Mohammed was at nis wit’s end to Know What todo. Determined not to fai in his appointed task ne promised his troops all the spoil tha. might be taxen, reserving for himself merely tue empty houses. Fired by the lust of plunder the ‘Turks took new heart, and a general and successful assault was made without delay. After the storm had lasted a few hours the Genoese commander of the defend- ing garrison (for the Greeks were too cowardly to tight themselves, aud wusted almost entirely to the valor of their ioreign mercenaries) was Wounded and retired to Galaia. At the last moment, in a frenzy of desperation, the Emperor himself took the field, and, animated by his exam- ple, some of his subjects followed him, and con- tested ibe progress of the Turks yard vy yard. at by tar the greater nuinber of the miserable wretches Who boasted tueinseives the descendants of Sparta and of Athens took reiuge in the cathedral of St. Sophia, together with the women and children. in all, this church 1s 8.14 to have contained at the tme of the entry of the Turks 100,000 persons. One Knows scarcely which most to wonder at, the cow- ardice or the superstition Of these taint-hearied da: turds. Even in this supreme bour of tueir national destiny, lusiead of couiding in the strength of their own right arins, they trusted imoliciy in an oid tradition, Which alirmed that should the city ever be in danser of passtug our of Christian hands, tue foe would only succeed in reaching -a certain pillar sul standing in tue Hippodrome. Arrived there the angel Gabriel would lumself Come to the succor of Uie fuithial, armed with the same flaming sword that put to might hosts of Satan. The efforts of the Emperor were, er, fruitless. One by one bis puriisans tell 1 im welterimg in their blood, and ai last he was driven to piteously exclaim, “1s there no Chris- tian lett alive to strike evea iny deaih-vlow.” The answer came from a ‘furkisi sabre, and he, too, died @ warrior’s death. The Turks p: ed ou Without delay to the Church of St. Sophia. The Greeks Watched their progress with baied breath. Atlength the invaders reached the fatal column. But no uvenying archangel appeared to stay their marci. ‘The horrors of the taktug of ihe charch are almost beyond description. ‘The gates of sculptured brass were rudely broken open and the Mussulinans rushed in, All the inen, or nearly all, were ruth- lessly Idssacred, and the pavement of uhe cathedral was deluged by streauis of blood, while the shrieks of women anid the groans of hati-kliled victims ascended and ecioed through the galleries and dome, Even the holy character of thé edifice (and the Lurks aiso believed, to a ceriain degree, in its sauctity) did not pratect the watrous and virgins Who had taken refuge in its preciucts from the last infamy which viriuous women can sutfer. The brutal victors, indeed, held a carnival of just and murder, such a8 has seideum stalued the annals of man history, And Worse stil, the Mosiems have ‘r yet been deprived of the city they thus took— a city which once rauked in Christendom as the equal of Kome. The crescent stiil Boats over that Famed Byzantium, Girt with purple seas, and the Church of St. Sophia, nearly’ as fine ag St. Peter's, and built to be @ temple of the cross for ail ages, is now a Mussulinan mosque, in which dally the ulemas recite the fables o1 the Koran. Most of the more striking sleges of antiquity have now been given, and we enter upon ern times. Here the vast nuinber of stately cities that have suf- fered the presence of a beleaguering army 1s almost bewlidering. Turn into whatever history you will— of Italy, of Austria, of France, of Spain—and evel few pages you will encounter some record of this hase of warfare. nly a few even of the more cele- rated will be poticed. It is, of course, imposstbie to make this article a complete record of modern sieges. PARIS by no means at present sufiers the horrors of a siege ior the first time, She was besieged four times by the hardy Northmen during the ninth century— three times with success. While the English held France in the fifteentu century Joan of Are made a vain but vigorous attempt to wrest Paris from thelr ands. Six years later Dunois and the Comte de Richmond made a second attempt, which was crowned with success. The English garrison made a desperate resistance, re- fused to surrender even after all hope had gone, and were to @ man put to the sword. Tie most terrible siege Paris nas ever suffered, however, was that by Henri IV. after the battie of Ivry. Paris had for years been recegnized as ‘the Leart of the League,’ and determined to keep out tue terrivle Bearnais as loug a8 possibile A great many of the citizens left the city, and otners sent away their wives and chii- dren, but still 220,000 persons remained within the wails, Henri’s forces only numbered 15,000 men, and he was, therefore, far too weak to make @ gene- ral assault. His only resource was to reduce the rebeilious city by famine. No stores for any lengtn- ened period had been accumulated, ana the citizens were soon plunged into the horrors of starva- tion. The nobtity of aris came nobly to the rescue, and did all that could be done. The priests melted down the church plate and the ladies gave away their jewels to relieve the starving multl- tude, But provisions could not be bought, and it was found that gold was not always the equivalent of food. What followed 1s told with aimost revoit- ing tainuteness by Voltatre tn the “fenriade:’—“But When the waters of the Seime ceased to bear te the city the fraits of the Darvest, and when lunger al- ready was seen tn the streets, pale and cruel, and pointing to the spectre of Death that foliowed in her tain, then, indeed, were heard frightiul warlings, and this superb and ‘ifui Paris grew full of un- fortunate beings, whose trembling hands and feeble volces demanded vainly the snstenance of life. Boon, too, even the rich, avter fruitioss enorts to buy food, proved the pangs of unger by w sad experi- ence of them in the very miust of abundant treasures. No longer aid they crown themseives at festivals with myrtle and rose Jeaves. * * * * One could now only jook upon these same voluptuous creatures with pain. They were pale and haggard; death feebiy shone in Weir eyes, and they were perishing of uisery in the bosom of opulence, hating the abundance of their useless wealth. Here an old lmin, Whose days would also soon be terminated by Want, saw his son carried to the tomb, a victim already fo hunger. There, an entire faiuily perished dn the Irantic fury of starvation, And again, some un.ortunate beings, lying in the dust, still disputed with their last breath for tie odious remains of the vilest aliments. ¥amished spectres, outraging navure, sought nourtehivent even in the cold bosom of the tomb, and prepared a horrible repast from the powdered bones of tie dead, But what will not men, reduced to the last extremity of misery, auiempt’ Here we see them even nourishing then selves with the ashes of their ancestors.” From the 6th May, when the siege bean. until the end of July, 30,000 persons perished of bi . Henri himself pitied the besieged, an with a humanity touchingly royal, allowed severat thousans of ihe more helpless of — the citizens t© pass through his limes, About the end of August the Duke of Parma marched to tae relief of the city, and Henri, after a not very reso- lute attempt to surprise it by an escalade, was forced to raise the seige 1a the second week of September, ROCHELLE. Thirty zeae later, 12 (hose same Hugnenot wars, another French city, La Rochelle, suffered a siege of singular severity. Rochelle was the headquarters of the Huguenot party. It was a seaport and con- tained about forty thousand tnhabliup:, who wee almost entirely Protestant. Infamed by the pro- Mixes of England, the Kochellois ope.',; raised the standard of rebellion th 1627, At urst the Duke @’ Anjou was sent down to ieduce them to submis. sion, but soon after King Louis aud Cardinal Richelieu themselves went to the scene of opera- lions. Richelieu assumed the conduct of the sege, and displayed striking capacity and energy. ‘The Engiish at the same time were besieging the Isle of Rhe, opposite Rochelle, but were 8001 compelied to relinguish the attack, leaving guus, standards and prisoners behind, To reduce the city Richelieu now undertook @ work tn- volving an enormous expeuditure of patient iabor. ‘This Was no less a task than to construct a wall, or mmole, across the whoie front of the port, with the exception of & small opening in the centre, com- manded by heavy battenes. ‘This work was begun mm November, 1627, and in spite of arathor severe winter Was carried on with ceaseless diligence until in the Wa | is was nearly completed. A large boom placed floating before the sea face of the wall rendered its destruction a work of extreme difti- culty; and the forts at the landward ends were fimshed and armed by May. When, therefore, the English fleet returned to the attack they found it lunposaible te communicate with Rochelle, Still the Rochellots held out with the obstinacy of fanaticism, Their Mayor had been elecced since the oeginning of the siege, and gave a significant indication of his temper by layig nis dagger on the council! room table in the town hall and refusing to accept the office unless he were permitted to use his weapon against the first citizen who whispered ‘‘surrender,” while le romizea to make no resistance Mf ip the event of his becoming craven his fellows should turn its point against lis own breast. Tne pepuiace were in time reduced to feed ou leatver, on inussels thrown up by the sea, on seaweed, and even yet more k athsome food. Ouce more an English fleet attempted to come to their relief, and made a gallant atrempt with a powder vessel to oreak through the boom, But the effort was vain, Soon the Duchess de Rohan and the ladies in the city asked leave (o pass through the beleaguering lines, but permission was refused. Such starving wretches as avlempved to eacape were driven back to the gates with rod3 or hanged as rebels or penned between the walls and the besteg- ing lines, whue King Louis, from an apartment which looked over the fosse, feasted his eyes with thelr agonies. Sixteen thousand men perished of hunger, and still the sturdy Mayor held out. ‘There were still enough men,” he said, *‘to shut the gates,’’ and roughiy boxed the ears of a judge who proposed to capitulate. But at last, on the 27th Oc- tober, having been for three days absolutely with- out food, the city surrendered, after a thirteen months’ siege, obtaining, 1t must he confessed, very favorable terms from the genero-ity of Richelieu. AMIENS. About the same period two other interesting sieges took place—those of Amlens and Bordeaux. Aliens was then, as now, the capital of Picardy, and a@ rich and popuious city, boasting fifteen thousand adult males capable of bearing arms. They had de- clared against the League, but, in the foily of over confident strength, thought themselves able to dis- pense with a reguiar garrison. ‘I'he Spanish Gover- nor of Duriens, hearing that though viguant at night, after the manner of burgher soldiers, they re- laxed their watchful care Dy day, resolv to surprise them. During the night he collected a force of three thousand men and silently posted them in some thickets beueaththe walls. At day- break tbe gates were thrown open and twetve Span- ish soldiers, disguised as peony driving a litue cart, While others bore baskets of nuts and rruit on their heads—presented themselves, One of these disguised men upset lis pavnier and the soi- diers of the garrison laughingly scrambied for its contents. When the cart reached the centre of the gate the man quietly cut the traces of tae harness, So that It remained stationary. The assault was then made. The pertcullis was hurriedly dropped down, but was caught on the cart. In a few iin- utes the town was taken. In the following year Henry IV., however, retook it alter @ severe siege. He encamped before the city with 14,000 men and 4,000 English auxiliaries. The Spaniards made sev- eral desperate and bloody sorties, but were com- pelied at last by famine to yield, BORDEAUX was held in 1650 by the Princess de Condé, in behalf of her husband, agaimst the Marshal de la Meilleraye und a force of eleven thou- sand troops, accompanied by King Louis in person. She pawned her jewels and melted down her plate to furui8h the means for defending the city. To hurry on the works the princess and her ladies themselves labored with their delicate hands in rais- ing the ramparts. ‘Seldom,’ says a historian, “have ramparts been raised by so graceful a band. They carried the necessary materials in baskets trimmed with Isabel-colored ribbons (the Condé colors), Working ail day with uniiring duigenc while the dukes who planned the works which they were executing brought them trays of fruit and sweetineats, and the little d’Enghien trotted to and ire on his pony and thanked them for tuetr indu try.” At lage the city was surrendered, under the most favorable conditions, to the King. CALAIS, among French cities, has also gained some repute- on from @ couple Of severe sieges thitit has bad Wo endure. ‘The first is, of course, that iamous one by the English forces, under Edward ILL, 1a 1347. It held out with the greatest tirmness tor and then John de Vienne, the Governor, was forced to surrender unconditionally, as the population Were reduced to the last extremity of famiue. Edward had been so enraged at the obstinacy of the garrison that he nad resoived to put them all to death; but he at last simply Insistea that six pro- Muinent citizens should be sent to him, barefooted and bareheaded, carry the keys of the city in their hands and with ropes around their necks. He declared he would hang these unior- tunate men, but would spare the rest of tue city, The’ entreaties of his wife Philippa, however, induced him to refrain from so brutal ‘a murder, especially as the citizens who had delivered themseives into his hands had voluntarily accepted their late. The Queen, having begged their lives, carried them into her tent, or- dered a repast to be prepared for them, made them @ present of money and clothes and dismissea them. The King then drove all the French population from the city and repeopled it with Engiishmen. It re- maiaed in English hands until 1658. It had by that time been fortitied so strongly as to be deemed im- pregnabie, but it was taken after a short siege by tie Duke of Guise. ‘This time it was taken by surprise, not reduced by famiae. During the winier the city ‘was surrounded by marshes, impassabie except over a dyke guarded by the two castles of St. Agatua and Newnham Bridge. Owing to this the Engiish were accustomed to recall a great part of the garrizon at the ena ofautumn and send them back tn the spring. ‘The Duke of Guise, in consequence of this foolish Weakness of the defensive force, was euabled to siorm the dyke, and thus, after 200 years of English occupation, Calais again became a French city, BELGRADE, in Servia, on the banks of the Danube, has been eral times besieged. In 1486 the Turks first attacked it, but were repulsed by John Hunniades With @ loss of 40,000 meu. It was, however, taken by Sultan Soiyman in 1522, retaken by the imperial- ists in 168%, and again fell into Turkish hands two years later. In 1717 it suffered a severe siege by Prince Eugene. The Turkish garrison was 4,000 strong. ‘The Sultan, as soon as he heard of the in- vesiment of the city, despa:ched a force of 200,000 meu to its relief. This force, outnumbering the besiegers three to one, encircied the army of Prince Eugeue. Here was, indeed, a singular position. The Austnan army investing the city were them- selves again environed by an outer ring of toes. Eugene detached 20,000 men to repel any sorte that might be attempted by the garrison, and then gave battie tothe Turks, who had taken pos- seasion of some heights overlooking the position and had further protected themselves by some well con- structed redoubts. Little dreaming that they would be attacked, the Lurks were not very vigilant, and allowed themselves to be surprised. The battle was fought in a dense fog, at the dead of night, and the Mosiem army was completely cut to pieces, A peace, ceding Belgrade 'o the Austrians, was al most immediately afterwaras completed. VIENNA suffered a great siege by the Turks in 1529, under Solyman tne Magnificent, who had an army of 800,000 men; but he was forced to raise the siege with a loss of 70,000 troops, The city was again besieged by the Turks on the 14th July, 163, ‘ihe Emperor called in the aid of Sobieski, the King of Poland. ‘The besieged had been reduced in a few weeks to the last extremity of famine, and a pestilence was aiso raging in their ranks. The suburbs of the city had already been de- stroyed and the principal outworks taken, and an assault by storm was almost hourly expected. In tus dire strait Sobieski 1ound the imperial city When he arrived with an advance guard of 3,000 men. A8s800n as the Polish troops came up So- bieski found himself at the head of 60,000 men in ail. ‘The battle that ensued was singularly one-sided. The Turks were swept away as if by magic, leaving in their camp booty of the greatest value. Subse- quenuy Vienna was taken by Murat in 1805, and aguiu by the renca in the foliowing year. ANTWERP has many times suffered capture. After a long siege it Was taken by the Duke of Parma in 1656. in 1liu6 it surrendered to Mariborough without any attempt at deience, and forty years later was taken by Mar- shal Saxe. Tue French held 1t in 1792, and again from 1794 till 1814. In the civil war between the Beigiaus and the Dutch, in 1830, it was taken by the former; but the Dutch garrison, having retired to the citadel, cannonaded the town with red hot balls and shells, aud inflicted immense injury. They were, however, Torced to surrender, and th independence of Bel- gium was acknowledged by all Europe. The King O/ the Netherlands again began war in 1881; but a French army ef 60,000 men was sent to assist Bel- gium, and Antwerp was again taken the following year. In these vicissitudes of fortune the city has had frequeniy to experience the horrors of an in vested city; but the details are merely a repeiition of the unvarying story of famine and pestilence, LEYDEN ‘was gudaenly besieged by Valdez in 1574, before its inhabtiants could provide themselves with supplies of food. The Spaniards surrounded tt with sixty-two forts, and as the Dutcn army had been dispersed’ and Leyden was an inland town, its speedy reduction seemed inevitavie. William of Grange pr da curious means of re- lieving the city, ie Dutch navy was still formida- \d he suggested the flooding of tho country. “Better to spoil the land than lose it,” cried he, The dikes were cut; but alas! the ships fatied to reach the walls of Leyden, and the Dutch skippers, Whose broad-brimmed hat ‘Turkish than Popish’’—were beside themselves with chagrin. Six thousana of the inhabitants mean- while died of hunger. At length # strong breeze sprang up and drove the water into the trencbes of the Spaniards, who were forced to seek safety ib flight. ‘The boats of the relieviig ships hastened to the walls and distribuled fish and bread to the fam- ishing citizens, Fiiveen hundred of the Spauiards were elther drowned or siain. The anniversary of this singular delivery is stili celebrated as a festival in Leyden, It 1s, perhaps, the most curious example of rewarded patience in history. In no other land Shan the Netherlands, of course, wouid 1s have beeu i ie. MAGDEBURG in the evil days of the Thirty Years war fell a victim to horrors such as in modern history are almost without parailel It had already sudered a pro- tracted slege by Maurice, of Saxony, in consequence ofits having ardently embraced the principles of the Reformation, and had on that occasion been res duced to submission by famine. Waiienstein also took it after a seven months’ siege, but behaved with characteristic generosity. It was reserved for the savage Tilly to revive on a modern stage the enormities of ancient history, In May, 1081, lle car- ried it by assault, and massacred 30,000 of 10s inhab- itante without distinction of sex or age. He then set the city in flames, reserving from destruction only the cathedral and 140 houses. Somme idea of thi atrocious cruelty of this monster may be torme from the despatch he iorwarded to his government, announcing his success. He says, “Such a victory has not been since the fall of Jeruselem and Troy.” He executed the commandant, and then inscribed upon his house, “Remember the tenth of May, 1631.” He peed have had Little fear that his crimes would be soon forgotten. ACRE, in Syria, was first besieged by the Crusaders under Richard I, in 11v1, and taken alter a two years’ siege, in Which are said to have perished no less Wan six archbishops, twelve bishops, 1orty earls, 500 barons and 300,000 soldiers, One hundred yea! later it was reoccupied by Saladin, and again 60,000 Christians perished. In 1708 it was besieged with terrible energy by the Emperor Napoleon. Tne French, with their hea 'y artillery, soon reduced the walls to a pile of blackened ruins, and but for the stubborn defence of the Buropeans who were its de- tenders, and the opportune arrival of the English and Russian fleets, tie clty would, undoubtedly, nave speediiy fallen. This is @ picture of the sieze, as described in recent careiuily written life of Bonaparte:—‘The streets were ploughed up aud the houses blown down by bomb shelis. Bieed- ing forms, blackened by smoke and with clothing burned and tattered, rushed upon each other with gripping sabres ana bayonets and with hideous yells, which rose even above the incessant thupders of the cannonade. ‘The notse, the uproar, the fash Ol guns, the enveloping cloud of sulphurous smoke, converting the day into hideous night, and the unin. verrupted flashes of musketry and artillery, tr forming night into jurid and porventous da; forms of the combatants, gliding lke spectres with demoniacal fury through the darkness; tue blast of trumpets, the shout of onset, the shriek of death, presented & scene no tongue can teli.”” Napoleon Was at length forced to retire, and the splendid dream of au empire in the Fast, which he had con- ceived, and which depended on his reduction of Acre, melted into thin air. THE SIEGE OF SARAGOSSA also bears @ conspicuous place in the wars of the first Napoleon. Inflamed to madness by tue atro cl- ties of Marshal Soult’s army 40,000 Spaniards re- solved to defend the city to the lust, and intrenched themselves in stone houses behind the wails, They were weli supplied with ammunition by tieir English aisies, but had no good mitary leaders. ‘They were, indeed, headed only by a ‘ew monks, in- spired by religious zeal. Thé attacking French iorce numbered only 18,000 men. ‘The siege lasted wwo months, The walis were battered duwn, convents were blown into the air, and still the combatants fonght with desperate vaior trom street to street and from house to house. But the French at length tri- umphed, after losing 7,000 men, and became the mast- ers ofa city in ruins. Fifty-four thousand of its invab- itants had perished in this dreadiui struggle. Only 10,000 iniantry and 2,000 cavalry out of the 40,000 who composed the garrison were taken prisoners. The streets were filled with unburied and putrifying corpses. ‘It 1s sald that even the French, hardened as they had been by frequent spectacles of the same character, themssives wept as they looked upon their own ghastly work. GIBRALTAR 1s said to be one of the few tmpregnable positions in the world, It passed into the hands of its present possessors, the English, a3 the resuit of a brillant coup de main by sir George Rooke in 1704. Having unsuccessfully attacked Barcelona, he suddenly as- sailed the city and took 1t with comparatively little dimeculty, thanks to the negligence and cowardice of the Spanish garrison. About eighty years later it suffered oue of the most stubborn sieges of modern umes, It was defended by weneral Elot with 5,000 men. The siege lasted three years, and though the garrison were frequently relieved, by Admirals Rod- ney ana Darby, they were at times reduced to live on vegetables and even weeds. In the spring of 1781 the bombardment was terrible. It is said that from the middie of April untu the end of May 66,000 bails and 20,000 shells were fired by the French ani Spanish beleaguering army, and yet only seventy men were kilied. On the night of November 26 Eliot made a sortie with 2,000 men, surprised the Spaniards, destroyed thetr works, spiked their guns aud blew up their ammunition, In 1782 the total besiezing force amounted to 33,000 men, With 176 pieces of heavy artillery, while the English garrison ad been increased to 7,600 men, with eigoty guns of jJarge calibre. The entire world gazed wouderingly at this wonderful siege. Th» French and Spaniards were, however, contident of ultimate victory, and King Charles of Spain is said to have asked each morning on waking, “Is ittaken?” and when he received the invariable reply, * to have responded, “It will be soon.”? The Duke a’Artois and the Duke de Bourbon were even invited from Paris to share the flory, of its reduction, On the moraing of Septem- er 13 a feartul fre was opened Irom some floaung batteries that mad been constructed, bu! the gar- rison siinply reterted by firing red ho’ shot upon thelr foes, and before midnight the largest of the batteries Wasin flames. The light of the burning huik served vo direct the English tire with more deaily energy, and soou the entire squadron of batteries were also destroyed. Finally the English feet relleved the imperiled fortress, THE CRIMEAN WAR added two more famous sieges to military history— Sebastopol and Kars. The siege of Sevastopol insted from Nov. 1, 1864, to Sept. 8, 1855. The allied French, English, Turkish aud Sardinian forceps, dur- ing those eveptiul ten months, were held at bay by the splendid engineering skill snewn by the Russian commanders. The main facts of the siege must still be fresh in the recollection of the readers of thts ar- ticle. The aliles, however, could boast only a hardly won victory, THF SIEGE OF KARS, suvugn occupying a 8.1uewhat more obscure plaee in the annuals oi the war, is perhaps more interest- ing and 18a finer display of heroism, Kars was de- Jended by Turkish troops, under the command of Sur W. F. Williams, and held out from the 7th of June until the 27th of November. At first the Rus- sians made desperate efforts to carry the town by storm, but met with several bloody repulses. They then called in the stow but certain ald of hunger. ‘The garrison was soon reduced to a terrible state of famine, and cholera broke out in their ranks. On the 23d September another general attack was made, but the enemy were forced again to retire, owing to the almost superhuman bravery of the Turks, At last the condition of the besieged grew fearful. So Scarce was food that horseflesh was reserved for the hospitals, and even cats are said to have sold for a hundred piastres ($4) each. On the day of the sur- render 200 men died of nunger, and the women of the town crowded round the General’s door, and throwing their little ones at his gate, refused to de- Part uniess he gave them food. Only one day’s ration, even for the garrison, remained, and the General there‘ore, after a council of war, capitulated. Se great was the prostration of the defenders that eighteen of them fell exhausted as they were being marched to the Russian camp. IN THE INDIAN MUTINY the slege of Delhi deservedly attracted considerable attention. It tasted five months. The city was held by almost countless Moslem and Hindvo troops, who had mustered around the standard of the Last of the Moguls. Cholera committed sad havoc among the investing troops, and while they were waiting a fa- vorable vpportuntty tv make @ general assault they grew too Weak to do go. It was even feared that they would have to‘withdraw, but reinforcements and & supply of heavy guns were at last re- ceived. Fifty-six pieces were placed in bat- very, aud on the night of the 13th Septem: ber two breeches were made in the wails, Four thousand white troops eugaged in a general as- saultthe following morning against o garrison of at least 100,010 native troops. A third of the city was taken by niglitfall, but 20,000 sepoys still remained in possession of ihe palace and several other Ker og of great strength. The battle raged for five days in the city, and at last the mutinecrs flied in disimay, thousands of them being pursued and slain. 1X OUR OWN Wak the siege of Vicksburg was one of the most exciting events of the conflict. The city was invested by General Grant on the 19h of May, 1863. At first hopes were entertained that it could be carried by a general assault, and at two o’ciock in the after- noon the atiack was made by the Fifteenth army corps. They marched up to the works in @ solid column. At the first volley they hesitated, owing to the extreme severity of the musketry fire from the rebel defenders, but still persevered. They were, however, ultimately forced vo retire. On the 2ista second general assault was begun at ten in the Morning, but the result was a second anda yet more vloody failure. On the 26th the federal mortars opened fire on the city, and kept up the cannonade uni the’ surrender, No city, probably, ever suffered so heavy @ continuous fire. Jt _i® computed that six thousand shells were thrown into the city every twenty-four hours, and on the line in the rear of the city as many as 4,000 in the same time. Five days after the begianing of the siege the imprisoned population were pat upon re- duced rations, which graduatly grew less and less until they were scarcely sufficient to keep up the feevlest flame of life. The suttertugs of the besieged irom famine soon tudeed became terrible. Various attempts were made by General Grant to mine the enemy's line, but on no occasion with substantial success, Atlength, on the sd of July, after a most gaulant defence against one of the hottest and most uetermined attacks recorded in history, General Pemberton was forced, owing to the famishing con- dition of his troops, to capitulate. THR PRESENT CONFLICT between France and Prussia has already been marked With several noteworthy sieges. Strasbourg, after a delence rarely surpassed in history for obstinacy, was terced to ania by. the pangs of hunger. The garrison under General Ubrich dis- played admirabie courage and discipline. and the bore an mscription—“Better. townsmen, in spite ef the fact that they German tongue, and were, therefore, language dis) d to favor the Prussians, also ex- hibiied & patieuce and constancy that were worthy of the noblest of causes. Toul, Metz and Verdun have also fallen, but the story of their reauction is ‘So recent that it must still bé fresh in the minds of our readers, IRELAND'S WARRIORS, i] The Siege at Sweeny’s Still Maintained=The Keniau Chiefs as Scribes Photographing the People of Liberty—They Have Accepted a Recepiion Yendered by the Municipality of New York. ‘The Irish citizens of New York are still excited im consequence of the arrival of the liberated Fenian. prisoners in this the metropolis of the United States, From sunrise tll long after night had set in groups of men—friends, sympathisers and relatives—occu- pied the sidewalks in front of Sweenv’s, and ever after the snow had commenced to fallin ominous quantities group after group came and disappeared alternately, anxious to get a word with or shake the hand of those whose cause they heartily espouse, ‘There are some among their admirers who are no’ backward in expressing their disapproval of the manner in which THBY HAVE SECLUDED THEMSELVES since their arrival, in refusing the reception pres pared and offered by the city of New York. Inside the building, on the stairs and corridors leading to the rooms eceupied by the exiled chiefs, crowds of people remaimed standing for hours, waiting pa- tently for their turn to enter the apartments and getasight of the ‘boys.’ But it was waiting in good earnest. Out of the entare number only two of the artivals—Dennis Dowhng and Williain Mul- cahy, both prepossessing, gvod looking men, on whom the TORTURES AND PRIVAT:ONS OF PRISON LIFE had left its indelivle traces, were deputed to act a the committee of reception, This, ef course, was. slow work, but it had to be undergone, and was undertaken and carried out with great spirit, Mauy were the handsiakings and hearty con- gratulations of those who called to visit them to the land of liberty, where the green fag of Erin can have a place and wave tn utter deflance of every monarchy or despotical power. They have decided, to adopt some course of action as soon as the pressure of visitors shall have ceased to interfere with the privacy necessary for such a consumma-| tion, and they have stated that no time will be iost by them in arriving at SOMit UNITED COURSE OF ACTION to convince the public of tueir sincerity in the task they have undertaken. Up to two o'clock yestere day they were engaged in writing to their friends im’ Ireland, giving a description of the honors and re- ception tendered them by the citizens of New York, through Tammany, &c. Mr, James Hennessy, one of the representatives of. the Tammany Hall General Committee, introduced, himself, and tendered thein, on benalf of the com- mittee, a reception at Tammany Hall, the date to be! arranged among Uliemseives, The chiefs did not. give areply, but have promised to send a written an- swer Co the vitation. A RECEPTION ACCEPTED FROM THE CITIZENS, } Subsequently Aldermen Healey, Welch and Dimond called upon them aud ogered them a reception on behaif oi the municipality of the city. These gen-; tlemen tendered tie hospitaitty as coming direct from the citizens without reference to any political: feeling, and censequently t 7HE FENIAN EXILES ACCEPTED THE INVITATION and agreed to attend a imecting to be held at the City Hall at three o'clock to-morrow to arrange the necessary details and prelimmaries. Several members of the Savage branch of the Fenian Brotherhood of New York were present; also Colonel William Nichoison, of Troy; Jonn McCarty, Messrs. Real, McVormick, Eazan und others. In reply to various speeches O'Donovan Rossa and General Burke expressed their thanks for the favors con-: ferred upon them in short and well directed. remarks, EUROPEAN MARKETS. DON, Jan, 27—5 P, Mivw i ee arene se~ weaty bonds, 0% ; 1886, ten-forties, 84. Railway stocks closed, Unnois Central, “11039; Atlantic and Great Westera, FRANKTORT' BOURSE.—PRANKFORT, Jan. 26.—Unite: States five-twenty bonds closed firmer at 955% for the issue of. LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, —LIVERPOOT, Jan. 27—6 P. M.—Cotton closed steaiy; midiiing uplands, 8d. a 83d. 3 middiing Orleans, 84¢. 45 qd. The sales of the day foot up 12 00) bales, incltiding 3.0.0 bales for export and speculation. cal ned loading at Mobile, at 8d. a stock of cotton atioat bound which 826,40 are American. Ameri ‘Vb ipts “week foot up 15,000" bales merican, e receip' wee! foot uy 3, bales including 85,000 baies of American, Ae eas BREADSTUFPS MARKET,—LIVERPOOL, Jan. Gorn -No. 2 new mixed, 5s. 8d. Peas, Ade. {California white, 11s. 1d. a 1ds.; red Western, No, 3 1s; red ‘winter, Ms. 2d. Ms. 4d, The ‘of wheat for the past three days feot up 20,000 quar which 15,000 quarters were American, Blour, 8. 6d, —LiveRvoor, Jan. 0 8 curtties closed tirmer; Five-t ‘Wag; 1867, B94; firm—Erle, 184 to No, 1 10s. 6d. a 1 receipts tei PROVISIONS MARKET. Is. Od. Pork easi POOL PRODuGR MA E 2 5 P. M.—Common rosin, 6s. 81, & 78 LONDON PRODUCE MARKET.—LONDON, Jan. 27- of M.—Taliow, 4s. fi. adie. dd. Calcutta linseed, 548. 8d. a Sd. American hops Limer. Spirits petro.euin firmer at Mis. sANEOL Ceses SALE OF THE SEASON, . LORD & TAYLOR, BROADWAY AND TWE beg leave to announce that ihe. until the Ist of February, the f our semi-annual stock taking. We iuvite the special attention of our cus- tomers and our purchasers yeuerally to bargaiua in Fashionable Dress Goods, which, having been « eassorted trom reserve stock, will be offered on Mon- day, January 30, as follows NTIETH STREET, ove sale will be continued. ALL WOOL PLAIDS. 7 ‘Two cases Scotch Plaids, yard and a ha‘f wide, ali colors, at $1, real value §2 50. ALL WOOL FRENCH SATIN DE CHENES. j Three cases of real French Satins in all the fashionable cloth, high and medium coors, the most desirabie fabrice- for suits, at B0c. ; recent wholesale price 75c. ALL WOOL FRENCH SERGES. Two cases finest quality, in all colors, for suite and wrap pers, will be offered ut 75c. cost $1 10 (0 import. EMPRESS CLOTHS. ‘Three cases all wool real French Empress Cloths, in vari ous colora, suitatle for ali seasons, at 60c. ; real value 76c. MERINOS, Four cases of all wool French Merinos, a full assortment’, of colors, at 50c. and 65c. ; recent wholesale price 87 5c. and vf. In view of the provabie scarcity of these celebrated ‘abrics next season, in cansequence of the war, particular attention is called to the inducements here offered. The g00%8 are most suitable for eRe and street wear. The above goods will be exhibited on the first floor, near main entrance on Broadway. MOURNING STOCK. BLACK ALPACA, Two cases finest quulity, celebrated Buffalo brand, will be. “ise to close at %5c. and 8c.; heretofore sold at $1 and: One case fine Black Silk Warp Tamise, in three Will be sold at a bargain. BLACK CRETONNE. Full assortment; ail grades; very low. BLACK CASHMERE D'ETE FOR SUITS. Just imported. From fine to superfine quality. GLOVES. 200 dozen fine quality ladies’ French Kid Gloves, at $1 50- per pair. LORD & TAYLOR. GREAT BARGAINS IN SILKS, LORD & TAYLOR continue to offer the balance of their Silk Stock, prior to thes Ist of February, at low prices, to close the season, FANOY SILKS. An invoice of Gris Rayes, just from the steamer Spring, will be opened at 1 itable f¢ 2—a great bargain. > hite Check, all sizes, will bas + day, vith Inst at BL 6B. PLAIN BLACK SILKS. 400 pieces 24-inch, 26-inch and 28-inch, all boiled Taffetas, acelevrated brand, at prices lower than ever before offered;. viz. :-24-inch, $1 37g: 46-inch, 2:1 50, and 28-inch, 195. The above goods are confidently re An large invoice of Biack an ‘opened on M ominended for service, ¢ BLACK Gus GRAINS, ‘BWinch, at $2, #2 50, $3, $3 60 and B4. PLAIN COLORED SILKS, Minch, at $2, #225. 92 50, $3 and upwards, which pur- chasers will tind it greatly to their advantage to examine, LORD & TAYLOR, BROADWAY AND TWENTIETH STREET. GENTS! FURNISHING GOODS, Having made fw special department for Genta Furnishing: Goods, attention 18 called to the superior quaity and low” | prices of all our goods, which we warrant to be ag repre ented. ntiemen wi ere: Gnd all the latest styles of TIES, SCARF8, GLOVES, " SMOKING "JACKETS AND CAPs, SHIRTS, COLLARS, CUFFS, PINS, UNDERWEAR, SHAWLS, MBRELLAS, CANES, aC. &0. with every vartety of desirab.e goods, at prices unisually: ow. $ Orders received and promptly executed. LORD & TAYLOR, BROADWAY AND TWENTIETH STREET, ALL SILK LYONS VELVETS. The balance of our stock of 28-inch, 22-inch and 36-ineby ALL SILK LYONS VELVETS will be offered at prices from $10 upwards, A great reduction from previous prices, LORD & TAYLOR, BROADWAY AND TWENTIETH STREET. ely Coe Ree lama EACH. BUNIONS, BAD NAILS AC C1 Dr, RICE, 208 Broadway, corner street, New York, and $42 Fulton atre o ‘3 Ivo. “Annihilator cures Corns, Bunions ken bo. ee